


Jack Hates Cats

by TheSpaceCoyote



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Modern AU, thats basically all there is to it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 10:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12130176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpaceCoyote/pseuds/TheSpaceCoyote
Summary: Except this time he doesn't.Random fluffy fic featuring Jack and Rhys adopting a cat.





	Jack Hates Cats

**Author's Note:**

> Just a random little thing I wrote for a prompt list on Tumblr! Pure sweet fluff. Enjoy!

“I can’t believe you talked me into coming here,” Jack groaned as he pulled into the little parking lot, roughly putting the car into park and pointedly not looking at Rhys. The young man tried his best to put on a smile, in hopes that maybe Jack would stop being so grouchy if he acted like he was happy.

Well…Rhys was actually happy. After months of prodding and fruitless conversations, he’d finally managed to convince Jack to take a look at the local cat shelter. Rhys had been feeling the emptiness in the older man’s penthouse for quite some time, considering it was usually just the two of them with the occasional exception of a housekeeper or personal chef. Up until today, Jack had adamantly denied any of Rhys’ request for any kind of pet above a goldfish, and while Rhys liked the way they looked when he walked past the wall to wall aquariums in the main Hyperion atrium, you couldn’t cuddle a goldfish. And Rhys really wanted something to cuddle when Jack was out late and he had nothing else but television and the games on his phone to pass the time.

Rhys wasn’t sure what exactly had caused Jack to finally crack, but he wasn’t going to question this gift he’d been given by whatever cosmic power had a soft spot for kitties. So he wriggled his way out of his seatbelt and into the warm sun, hopping around to the driver’s side and opening the door, practically dragging Jack out of his seat and towards the entrance to the shelter.

The older man continued to gripe and groan as he was pulled inside the building, feeble air conditioner fluttering his hair. He stood back, arms crossed defiantly, stare fixed with determination right on his sneakers as Rhys spoke with the kindly young woman at the front desk. She smiled brightly at the two of them, beckoning them forward as she opened the door behind her. Rhys grabbed Jack’s wrist, marching the man through the doorway much to his continued annoyance.

The hallway before them was lined with little cages from floor to ceiling, a chorus of mews arising from the bars as Rhys gasped, shuffling towards the closest cages. He looked back at Jack, who was trying to bury himself in checking his phone, which was quickly plucked out of his hand and stowed in Rhys’ shirt pocket.

“Rhys, c’mon, I gotta check up on business—“

“You can answer your messages after you look at these adorable little orange kitties,” Rhys cooed as he tugged Jack closer by the wrist, pointing between the bars of the first cage.

“See?” He exclaimed at the sight of the little orange puffballs clustered in one corner together. “Look! This one is named Creamsicle….hey there! Hey little buddy!” Rhys cooed as one of the kittens shuffled away from the rest of his litter, mewling gently as he put his paws against the bars, little pink paw pads on full display.

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Orange hair is gonna reeeaaally stand out against all the nice new leather couches, kiddo.”

Rhys shot him an annoyed glance over his shoulder, but slowly managed to peel himself away from the kittens, though their little cries pulled at his heart.

Jack’s penthouse would be big enough for a whole litter, right?

The same thing happened whenever Rhys passed in front of a new cage—he would stop, let out an adoring gasp and chitter at the cats inside, then look back at Jack for any sign of approval or interest, only to be met with a bored or scathing remark. As much as Rhys loved looking at the cats, he was about ready to throw in the towel with Jack’s increasingly annoyed attitude. He’d hoped that Jack would see the fluffy faces and tiny paws and hear the excited little mews that cried take me home, please! and instantly melt. But Jack was acting as detached and aggravating as ever—at least until the walked up to the last cage.

Inside a young cat—not a kitten, but not as old as some of the other, more grizzled cats in the rest of the cages. It was long and sleek with fur richly patterned in dark sable brown, white, and orange. Most striking of all were it’s eyes—one brown and one blue, blinking intelligently up at Rhys.

And the fact that it was missing part of its front leg just above the joint.

“Awww, sweetie,” Rhys cooed, voice heavy with sympathy as he crouched down, watching the cat hop over to him, managing fairly well without one of its front paws. The cat pattered close, rubbing its nose affectionately against the cage, whiskers bristling.

As sweet as this cat was, Rhys knew that if Jack had rejected all the other cats in the shelter, there was no way he was going to go for one that had been roughed up this bad. He let out a sigh, making to rise to his feet when suddenly a heavy hand clapped on his back. Rhys blinked and looked up, only to see that his boyfriend had crouched right besides him, staring intently at the cat that was know rubbing its flank against the bars of its enclosure.

“I…I didn’t know their eyes could do that,” Jack stated, his eyes trained on the cat as it finished rubbing against the bars, turning around to sit right in front of where Jack was crouching. It slipped one paw between the bars, and as Rhys watched with bated breath, Jack reached out and poked softly against the cat’s speckled paw pads.

Rhys winced as he saw the cat’s paw suddenly contract, translucent claws digging slightly into Jack’s finger, but to his surprise the older man didn’t jump or swear or even flinch. Instead, a grin spread across his face as the cat pulled his finger in closer, nipping softly at the tip.

“Hehehe, got a bit of a bite don’t he? He’s just like you, he’s got a lil’ bit of moxie, and hey he’s even got your eye color!” Jack beamed as he pointed at the cat’s mismatched irises.

“Um, actually, according to the sign, he is actually a sh—“

“Look at him!” Jack exclaimed as the cat released his finger, settling for licking its paw and rubbing it against his muzzle. “That…that is the cutest frikkin’ thing I’ve ever seen, huh pumpkin?”

The cat meowed inquisitively.

“Pumpkin? Yeah, you like pumpkin? I mean you got cute little orange patches….Pumpkin, Pumpkin!” Jack called, the cat responding with an enthusiastic mew every time.

“I…Jack, that’s going to get kind of confusing…” Rhys protested, only to earn him an annoyed eyebrow from Jack.

“Kiddo, please. Isn’t this what you wanted, anyway? For me to fall head over heels for one of these lil’ sweeties?” Jack raised his finger, silencing any further complaints Rhys had.

“I’m taking this lil’ guy home. What do you say, Pumpkin? You wanna go home with daddy?”

The cat purred and rolled onto its back in response.

Thirty minutes later and Jack had finished filling out the paperwork, deliberately ignoring the clerk’s comments on the cat’s name and gender while Rhys made him promise to pick up all the necessary toys and food and bedding on the way back home. Jack agreed in a hurry, practically brimming with excitement at the idea of bringing Pumpkin with them. The cat carrier was quickly brought in from the backseat of the car, and before long Pumpkin was settled happily in the star printed blanket Rhys had lined the plastic with.

The young man was shocked when Jack offered him the keys to drive, but his expression faded into a knowing smile as Jack plopped down into the passenger seat and sat the cat carrier on his lap, giggling like a child as he waggled his finger in front of the little bars, enticing the cat to bat playfully at him. Rhys’ felt warm and happy as he pulled out of the little parking lot, pleased beyond belief that Jack had been able to open his heart and welcome a new member into their slowly growing family.


End file.
